Girl In The Woods
Authors: Aileen Rose
GIRL IN THE WOODS
AILEEN ROSE
Copyright
© 2013 Aileen Rose
All Rights Reserved
Illustration by Maggie
Dedicated
to :
My
sweet parents.
Sophia,
who was the first person who believed in me and my writing skills and has been
my loyal friend all along.
V,
my guardian angel and loving friend, for her constant support, advice and
guidance. Without her, this story would have never been written.
The
wonderful girls who gave me strength and the will to go on with their
encouraging words. You know who you all are and I love you all!
This
story is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are
products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual events,
locales, or persons living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Adult
Reading Material
The material in this story is for adult audiences only and contains
graphic sexual content. It is intended only for those of age 18 and older.
This is it. This
is the most important day of my life. The day I have to make the single most
significant decision of my entire life. No pressure there.
“Calista, what
are you doing here? Are you crazy?”
Just what I
needed. My mom looking for me. Why can’t they all leave me alone? Why can’t
they respect that I want to enjoy my freedom while it lasts?
“It’s ok, mom. I
just came out to enjoy the afternoon breeze. Besides, they just started
arriving.”
“Your dress!
Calista, you have ruined it. Get up.”
It’s one of the
few times I don’t protest and get up. I’m too exhausted even to argue. She pats
the back of my long, white dress.
“Look what
you’ve done,” she reprimands me as she has done ever since I can remember
myself. “It has a stain. Why can’t you behave like all girls of your age? Be
polite, elegant and subservient. Sitting by the lake, while we host a
party…Don’t you care about the candidates’ opinion for you? And your hair…It’s
a mess.”
I roll my eyes.
Yes, the candidates. Who have come to show off their wealth and beauty to win
my heart. They all descend from noble families. I have known most of them all
my life, as their parents are family friends and we spend our free time with
them. Since I know them already, I’m sure no one will be my prince. None of
them has been able to make my heart beat faster, like my girlfriends admit they
have felt with their fiancés.
I remember my
father’s words this morning while we were fighting:
“You are
eighteen. It’s time to get married. You will choose one of them, whether you
like it or not!”
I’ve never seen him so upset. I tried to explain to him
that I will not be happy, that I need something else.
“What?” he asked
me. “Falling in love? Love is for poor girls who have nothing to lose. You have
a name and a fortune and they must be passed on to a noble family, like we are.
Stop rebelling. You are not a child anymore. You have responsibilities.”
Yes, I do. To
marry a guy I don’t like and add me to his collection of precious jewels.
I wish I could
fly. Go away….far, far away. Where no one can tell me how to live. Be free like
the birds flying above the lake. How I envy them.
“Come on, let’s go inside,” my mom pulls my arm to follow her and I
feel my heart sinking. Now I know how people who have been condemned to death
feel.
When I enter the
room everyone stares at me. I feel like I have my birthday.
“Don’t frown.
Smile. Be pleasant and let them talk to you,” my mother whispers to me. My
father is at the end of the room talking to a dear friend of his.
The room is
filled with men and their parents. There is not a single girl of my age. I
guess my parents wanted to eliminate any sign of competition. Tonight is about
me and
only
me. And I hate this. I wish I was invisible.
I sit on an
isolated chair. My only desire is to avoid everyone. I feel a threatening
presence heading towards me. I turn my head and see it’s Mark. His father is
our lawyer. But I haven’t ever really talked to him.
He kneels before
me and kisses the back of my hand.
“My lady. I
don’t think we have been properly introduced. I’m Mark Brown.”
“Nice to meet
you, Mark,” I say as politely as I can. “I believe you know my name.”
“Calista…Such a
beautiful name, for such a beautiful girl,” he says.
There we go. And
now the flattery begins.
“You are an
angel, who has dropped from heaven,” he goes on.
An angel?
Really? He obviously hasn’t seen me when I am in a bad mood.
“If you choose
me as your husband, I will give you everything. The whole world. You will have
everything you desire. Jewelry, servants to satisfy your every need, the finest
dresses. You will live like a queen.”
“Why do you want
me as your wife, Mark?” I ask him.
“Because you are
so beautiful and kind and I know you would make an excellent wife.”
How does he know
I’m kind? How does he know I don’t turn into a monster with three heads that
drinks blood at night? He wants me because of what he supposes I am, but has
never even bothered to talk to me, see who I really am. I don’t want to marry
someone who doesn’t know me and love me. He thinks I want jewelry and living in
a big house.
I don’t care about all this. I want something else. Something that
will fill my empty heart. I just don’t know what it is. My father thinks it’s
love I’m searching for. Love…I have never felt it. I haven’t even kissed
anyone. I only feel alive when I’m outdoors, in nature. When I listen to the
sounds of the forest, free like an animal.
After five more
confessions of love from similar men like Mark, I get the same answer when I
ask them why they want me as their wife. Why can’t they admit the truth? That I
have a huge fortune and I would make a beautiful wife – acquisition. Is this
what my life is going to be like? I don’t want to choose anyone. Perhaps, I’m
not meant to be a wife.
After eating
dinner, I sneak out the back door to the woods. I need to get away from all
this.
I ran as fast as
I can so that they can’t catch up with me when they realize I’m gone. There is
a secret path hidden by tall bushes that I only know about it. I have been
hiding there ever since I was a child.
The last rays of
sun penetrate the forest. Soon it will set and darkness will cover everything.
I love this time of day. There is something so mystical and unearthly.
I breathe
heavily. The birds are singing their last song of the day. My heart wants to
escape my chest, it beats so fast, fascinated by the beauty of what is all
around me. I rest my body against a tree and let my tears go. I have been
holding them all afternoon.
Stupid,
Calista…Don’t cry. It’s not worth it. You know in the end you will do what they
want you to do. You are helpless. Just enjoy this moment. This is all you have.
I move away from
the tree and close my eyes. I want to lose myself. I don’t want to be Calista
anymore. My arms are lifted on their own and I start dancing. Spinning around
myself to the music of the earth and the trees. My dress sweeps the grass under
my feet. I smile. Life is beautiful when you are truly yourself.
“I have never
seen such a delicate beauty.”
Immediately I stop dancing. Who is it? I look around and there is no
one. Suddenly, I think it was a stupid thing coming to the woods at dusk.
That is when I
see him coming behind some bushes. And my blood freezes in my veins. That can’t
be. I heard a man talking.
He is coming
towards me. I have never seen a wolf in real life. Only in pictures. I stay
motionless. That is what I have heard one should do when meeting a wolf. He is
black as the imminent night. His eyes are dark brown and they look at me
seriously.
I did hear a
male voice though. I am looking around to see if a man accompanies the wolf. No
one.
He stops closer
to me.
“Why did you
stop dancing?”
“You talk? How
can you talk?” I ask surprised.
“How can you
dance like a nymph?”
I open my mouth
to reply, but no words come out of it.
“You are in an
enchanted forest,” he explains. “Didn’t you know that? Anything can happen.”
His sharp teeth
are revealed every time he talks. I take a step back.
“Are you
scared?” he asks narrowing his eyes.
I cross my arms,
raise my chin and step forward again.
“No, I am not. I
am not afraid of you.”
Well, I am. But
I won’t give him the satisfaction to admit it. Also, from what I know you
should never let a wolf smell your fear.
There is
amazement in his eyes.
“You should be.
And instead of being conceited, you should bow to me. But you will learn. If
you are worthy, that is.”
Worthy? For
what? Learn? Bow to him? What is he talking about?
“What is your
name?” he asks me, interrupting the endless questions in my head.
“Calista.”
“Lovely name.
I’m Conor.” He lifts his paw to greet me and I lean forward to give him a
handshake. I feel so stupid. What is wrong with me? Instead of being at my
engagement party, I’m in an – enchanted – forest talking to a wolf.
“Care to join me
for a walk, Calista?”
A walk with a
wolf just before night falls?
That is not so wise, Calista.
“I…I don’t
know…It’s getting late and I should get back.”
“Why did you
leave in the first place, then? You could have stayed in the safety of your
house at this time of the day. Yet, you preferred to dance in the forest.”
It’s the first
time in my life someone tells me something annoying and I can’t contradict him.
“What do you
have to lose? I promise I will take you back home safely. Come, I feel it’s
going to be a marvelous night.”
He has already
turned his back and paces deeper into the woods.
“Ok, wait for
me,” I shout.
Right now as crazy as it seems a walk in the woods with a wolf is
the best option I have. Home will always be there. As well as my meaningless
life.
As we walk side
by side, the forest becomes more dense and eerie. The sun has completely set
and the few parts of sky that are visible through the trees’ canopy have turned
into a dreamy shade of pink and orange.
I want to ask
him where we are going, but I find it inappropriate.
“So, tell me,
Calista,” he breaks the silence, “why are you in the woods and not at your
house?”
“It’s my
engagement party tonight,” I reply as naturally as saying I ate toast for
breakfast.